Lionsgate will release A Simple Favor in domestic theaters on Thursday night, alongside Fox's The Predator and Sony's White Boy Rick. The Paul Feig-directed film represents a shot at commercial redemption following the overly expensive Ghostbusters remake in 2016. There isn't much at stake for the studio beyond whether or not we get more movies of this ilk in theaters, or whether the next of its kind ends up as a Lionsgate Premiere title. I'd obviously prefer the former, and it should be noted that Blake Lively's few outright starring vehicles (The Age Of Adaline and The Shallows come to mind) tend to open in the $13 million-$17 million range so an over/under $15m debut would be just fine. I don't have the budget offhand, but since it's a Lionsgate flick, I'm guessing they covered at least some of the cost via foreign presales.

The Review:

Based on Darcy Bell's novel, the Jessica Sharzer-penned and Paul Feig-directed A Simple Favor is a delicious little bit of unapologetic pulp fiction. It offers things that used to be the bread-and-butter of the industry, namely glamorous movie stars looking like a million bucks and getting caught up in a twisty narrative. It's not a prestige flick, it's not a serious drama, but it also avoids holier-than-thou genre meta-commentary or patronizing winking. The picture works because it is a good story, well told and capably performed by a game cast. With it, Paul Feig announces that Jaume Collet-Serra isn't the only studio director who can make the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock proud.

Anna Kendrick plays Stephanie, a widowed mother and passionate mommy vlogger who ends up briefly befriending a wealthy and glamorous working mother (Blake Lively) when their sons become friends at school. Stephanie immediately takes to being in the presence of this majestic young woman. Emily merely appreciates having someone to socialize with who isn't going to judge her. She may dress like a cross between Mr. Peanut and a 007 villain (Lively wears men's clothes better than most men), but she is a stressed-out and matriarchically-indifferent working mother who just doesn't mix with the rest of the stereotypical suburban moms.

Then again, nor does Kendrick's almost manic Stephanie fit in with the other suburban moms, and she's referencing Emily as "my best friend" after a few social calls. The plot thickens when Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her kid from school and then never returns home. From here we get the usual "What happened to Emily?" schtick, where dark (and mundane) secrets are revealed, Emily's husband (Henry Golding, yes that Henry Golding) tries to avoid suspicion and Stephanie ends up a de-facto part in Emily's bereaved family. But then... well, that would be a spoiler. For the record, the trailers aren't nearly as spoilery as I feared.

What follows is an unapologetically tawdry, occasionally campy and blessedly gonzo thriller that, in an almost casual fashion, throws in everything including the kitchen sink. This is the kind of movie where the reveal as to whether or not Emily is alive or dead is, maybe the fourth-biggest plot turn to be found. But this isn't a picture that brings itself to a screeching halt whenever we peel another onion layer, as the picture as a certain nonchalant "What did you expect?" mood to its storytelling.

Compared to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, A Simple Favor embraces its "trashy airplane read" designation as a badge of honor. Yes, the movie will keep you guessing, and it makes the most out of the notion of an unreliable narrator (Stephanie has her own secrets) even while it makes sure that you can accept the onscreen events at face value. Paul Feig knows when to go for a giggle and when to let the material speak on its own terms. He knows when not to over-direct and let his dynamic duo shine.

This is a polished and theatre-worthy studio programmer, anchored by expectedly terrific performances from its two leading ladies. By the way, it's once again time (after The Age of Adaline and The Shallows) to start acknowledging that Blake Lively is a genuinely gifted actress and not just a fashion icon who wears men's' clothing better than most men. And those who flocked to Crazy Rich Asians last month (or last week) should note that it casts Golding as the male lead and romantic interest with little consideration given to his ethnicity.

Paul Feig'sA Simple Favor is a delicious little concoction. It makes few apologies for its narrative madness and even fewer for its crumpled paperback origins. It may not always be believable, but it's never not entertaining and rarely unsurprising. Kendrick and Lively play superbly off of each other, and the whole crazy thing comes together like a perfectly-mixed milkshake. It's worth a babysitter, or worth making the hubby watch the kids for a girl's night out. It may not be high art, but it is high-class garbage. And yes, I mean that as a compliment.

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I've studied the film industry, both academically and informally, and with an emphasis in box office analysis, for 28 years. I have extensively written about all of said subjects for the last ten years. My outlets for film criticism, box office commentary, and film-skewing ...